Disney Skyliner (Gondola Transportation System) Read Post 1 Now Open!

[EastYorkDisneyFan]

If I or my teenage daughter is seated next to a stranger, I would prefer to have some lighting.

As a solo male traveler I'd also feel better if there were lights in them.

it could just be low level lights down below the windows - just enough to provide ambient light and make it not pitch black but not so much that it would impact the view out

They could still have overhead lighting like the monorail does. Also interior lighting when it's dark outside doesn't affect your view outside unless you are driving.

 

[zobow02]

As we're approaching summer very soon, the announcement of the skyliner opening date is upon us! When do you guys think it will open?

 

[TheMaxRebo]

you probably need to add July as the latest rumor was "people will be riding on July 4th"

I also cannot see these not being open before GE opens so really more what weeks in July and August do we think it will open

 

[jo-jo]

They could do a softer running light type situation and then when the doors open (to let people on and off) the interior lights go on much brighter and then dimmer lights once the doors close. I kinda like that idea. I do agree that too much brightness means all you might see is just the interior cabin rather than anything else at night but I also agree with other people cell phone lights will likely be in abundance. On a side note I don't know how people stand to look at their phones soooo bright at night or in dark places. It hurts my eyes lol.

Is it too late for disney to order new cars? I like that idea.

 

[OSUZorba]

Also interior lighting when it's dark outside doesn't affect your view outside unless you are driving.

This just isn't true, especially on highly tinted glass. You notice it when driving because viewing the outside is critically important, but the physics are the same regardless of what you are doing.

 

[mamaofsix]

As we're approaching summer very soon, the announcement of the skyliner opening date is upon us! When do you guys think it will open?

I agree with @TheMaxRebo . . . you need to add July to that poll. July is the month with likely the highest probability for opening.

 

[Jiminy76]

Yes, should definitely add July to the poll. Given the recent rumor and some wishful thinking (I'll be there the end of July) I believe July is the most likely given the progress we have been seeing lately with the stations, rescue training and testing on all lines.

 

[Disco]

I'm thinking you need to add June too lol

 

[Anthony Vito]

I'm thinking you need to add June too lol

Stop jinxing it!

 

[Simba's Mom]

As we're approaching summer very soon, the announcement of the skyliner opening date is upon us! When do you guys think it will open?

With my luck, it will open on September 22nd. That's because I'm leaving WDW on September 21st, and I'm thinking of taking a couple trips on it, just to experience the gondolas.

 

[tguz]

I'm hoping July 28th or sooner!!

 

[NotUrsula]

That would make it one of the slowest loading gondolas around. Please go watch some videos of other transportation gondolas around the world and watch how they board. The Skyliner will have more than 30 seconds of loading time and a separate 30 seconds of unload time in the station with an 11 second dispatch. This really isn't pushing the envelope for transportation gondolas. Worst case if people don't get off in time, they can stop the line or let them disembark on the load side for the one group going extremely slow. They aren't going to destroy the capacity the system because once a day someone might need more than 30 seconds to get off.

It may not seem like a lot, but the MK train is only in each station for 90 seconds, from pulling in to leaving. That is the whole thing from stopping, letting everyone off, new people getting on, pulling out. And it requires everyone to fold strollers and has 300 people onboard.

Apologies, all. My post would have made a lot more sense if I hadn't been tired and conflated some terms. While I stick by my contention that it is possible that Disney may have to slightly slow the speed in practice, I really didn't mean to suggest that it would have to go THAT slow. What happened was that I accidentally said dispatch interval when what I meant was time-in-station, which is, as we know, about a minute right now. What I was trying to say is that I thought that the time-in-station might need to be increased slightly if guests don't routinely manage to get their strollers/wheelchairs turned around in enough time to roll them off properly. (Backing out of a moving car is much more hazardous than walking off forward, and my guess is that Disney would prefer that guests not try to back out that way, because the potential for falling on your keister and blocking the doorway is pretty high.)

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Apologies, all. My post would have made a lot more sense if I hadn't been tired and conflated some terms. While I stick by my contention that it is possible that Disney may have to slightly slow the speed in practice, I really didn't mean to suggest that it would have to go THAT slow. What happened was that I accidentally said dispatch interval when what I meant was time-in-station, which is, as we know, about a minute right now. What I was trying to say is that I thought that the time-in-station might need to be increased slightly if guests don't routinely manage to get their strollers/wheelchairs turned around in enough time to roll them off properly. (Backing out of a moving car is much more hazardous than walking off forward, and my guess is that Disney would prefer that guests not try to back out that way, because the potential for falling on your keister and blocking the doorway is pretty high.)

I definitely think having that 2nd loop load area is as much (if not more) for unloading than loading as I know our last trip my mother in law had an ECV and for the most part she was fine with it but backing out of the monorails and things like that was by far the hardest for her. As for strollers, I think it won't be as big an issue but I see your point about, at least, wanting people to feel like they can take their time and not rush and risk falling while backing out with a stroller or whatever

 

[Q-man]

Apologies, all. My post would have made a lot more sense if I hadn't been tired and conflated some terms. While I stick by my contention that it is possible that Disney may have to slightly slow the speed in practice, I really didn't mean to suggest that it would have to go THAT slow. What happened was that I accidentally said dispatch interval when what I meant was time-in-station, which is, as we know, about a minute right now. What I was trying to say is that I thought that the time-in-station might need to be increased slightly if guests don't routinely manage to get their strollers/wheelchairs turned around in enough time to roll them off properly. (Backing out of a moving car is much more hazardous than walking off forward, and my guess is that Disney would prefer that guests not try to back out that way, because the potential for falling on your keister and blocking the doorway is pretty high.)

At least a minute and half is more likely from what we know. 40-50 seconds on both the unload and load sides plus the time to move from unload to load. From videos we've seen 9 to 11 cabins will be in the station, on the main loop, most of the time and one departs every 10 seconds.

 

[scrappinginontario]

I timed the cabins in the Pop Station and they appeared to be there approx 2 mins from arrival to departure. (It’s a little hard to be 100% sure with the wrapped cabins all looking similar.)

 

[1911]

I'm hoping July 28th or sooner!!

you and me both

 

[Lacoccinelle]

I really think it will open before GE as they will be dealing with the kinks from that. It will be easier for them to have the gondola issues and complaints happen before the mass entrance of GE.

 

[scrappinginontario]

I would like to vote in the new poll but my month is not there. Is it possible to add July to the poll, especially since July 4 is the rumoured opening date?

 

[DisFanDad]

A video I took just now (May 22) really shows takeoff and breaking velocity as well as speed around the Loop.

 

[scrappinginontario]

I find it very interesting that currently they are running the gondolas in both clockwise and counter-clockwise directions. Will it still be like that once it opens? If so the loading/unloading sides will need to have signage that can change.

Another option could be that the Pop/AoA - CBR route might travel one direction and CBR - DHS might be the other.

I took a video last month of the Pop/AoA - CBR route and it was definitely travelling in clockwise direction.